ABSTRACT
East Africa is an important mangrove region, geographically distinct, and isolated from the rich floras of South and South-East Asia by the expanse of the Indian Ocean and by the arid and largely unvegetated coasts of the Middle East. Mangroves are found along the entire coastline and along the western shores of Madagascar, with a more patchy distribution on the offshore small island archipelagos. The most extensive and diverse formations are found in the slightly wetter coastlines that extend along the coastline of Tanzania and north and central Mozambique, notably the large and highly productive deltas of the Rufiji and Zambezi rivers. Large areas are also found in western Madagascar.
